Fact Sheet

The Center for Accelerated Realtime Analytics (CARTA) is an NSF funded Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers (I/UCRC) which is in year 1 of a potential 15 year award. CARTA aims to develop long-term partnerships among industry, academe, and government. CARTA partners with the Rutgers University, NB, Rutgers University, NWK, North Carolina State University (NCSU) and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) [lead].The National Science Foundation (NSF) provide base operational funding to each of the University partners. CARTA is primarily supported by industry center members, with NSF taking an oversight role in the development and evolution of the center. Each site is expected to maintain a minimum number of industry members to be eligible for NSF support. All I/UCRCs have a standard membership agreement approved by NSF that entails IP rights and allows for collaboration among partnering universities and potential collaboration with other I/UCRCs.

Once an industry and/or government agency signs the membership agreement, they automatically become a member of the CHMPR Industry Advisory Board that reviews and approves university proposals with the membership funds. Members of CARTA review all proposals and are exposed to all project progress results presented at the semi annual IAB meetings. The proposed projects conduct research that is of interest and relevance to both the industry members and the center faculty. Thus, an I/UCRC contributes to the nation’s research infrastructure base and enhances the intellectual capacity of the engineering and science workforce through the integration of research and education. When relevant, CARTA participates in international I/UCRC collaborations with NSF approved funding subject to the same membership agreements to advance research goals within the global context.

CARTA Funding Structure

NSF provides base funds for CARTA via I/UCRC grants

Base grant to each participating university site for infrastructure costs

Industry and govt. partners support CARTA through memberships

Each membership is associated with ONE university. Partners may hold multiple memberships (supporting multiple students) at one or multiple sites

Membership Fee: $50K per annum and small businesses $25K.

Base cost of a graduate student for one year includes stipend, tuition, insurance and related expenses incl. ODC is <60K

Each university supplements costs of CARTA operations
45% university matching of industry membership fees by reducing ODCs on membership fees to 10%
CARTA funding leverage is greater than 3:1.

NSF supplemental support may include collateral programs such as a Cooperative Opportunity for Research Between I/UCRCs (CORBI) project, whereby two or more Centers and their industrial members engage in a cooperative research project of interest to all parties (with NSF and industry sharing costs). Through programs such as GOALI (Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry), fellowships are offered to Center faculty, whereby the faculty member can spend time in a corporate research lab or factory, again with NSF sharing the cost. The NSF ICORPS program encourages start up business ideas by offering an extensive set of training lectures and exercises. The IUCRC program offers funding opportunities for Partnership For Innovation in collaboration with industry members in such areas as building capacity, accelerating research or technology transfer. (Learn more) about the National Science Foundation (NSF) and how Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers (I/UCRC) operate.